Interim superintendent picked for Sweetwater

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In a unanimous decision Tuesday night, the Sweetwater Union High School District board chose to bring in former superintendent Ed Brand to replace Jesus Gandara.

Gandara was fired after a seven-hour closed session meeting that ended early Tuesday morning.

Brand worked for the district for 10 years from 1995 to 2005. He will serve as interim superintendent for up to one year, or until a permanent replacement is found for Gandara.

The board's first priority will be to analyze issues facing the district and take corrective action, Brand said. Recent problems include allowing the food services director to market products from her private business to Sweetwater schools and having to repay the state $350,000 for improperly billed student meals.

Brand also said a board workshop will take place in the next 30 days to prioritize what needs to be done, and an education summit will take place in the next three months to report decisions to the community.

“The main goal of this district is to improve student achievement, motivation and self-esteem," Brand said.

Board President John McCann said the decision to hire Brand was made because the board needed someone who could come in quickly, hit the ground running and take on the challenge of fixing some of the critical issues facing the district.

“This is going to be a fresh start for the district," said McCann. "I think it’s going to be a time of healing and us to be able to get to the point where we’re maximizing our students' achievement."

McCann said there are currently no candidates for the permanent position, but the process is underway.

Retired district educator John Brickley said Brand will bring a much needed calming period to the district. Brickley said he met Brand during a contentious time in 2002 when he was one of many parents protesting the overcrowding of Eastlake High School.

“I always found him very easy to get along with, very easy to discuss the issues with," Brickley said. "We didn’t always agree, but I found him to be very respectful."

Brand will be paid a flat rate of $20,000 per month. Gandara was making $242,000 annually, and was hired after a 14-month national search. He had been with the district for nearly five years.

After leaving Sweetwater in 2005, Brand took a job as superintendent of the San Marcos school district. He resigned after one year, citing "deeply personal" reasons for his decision.